


Hot and Cold

by Cumbermarvel (UglyJackal)



Series: Marvel Whumptober 2018 [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: I'm ill so why not project onto Stephen???, M/M, Sick Stephen Strange, Sickfic, Whumptober
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 06:42:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16236302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UglyJackal/pseuds/Cumbermarvel
Summary: Tears leaked from his eyes and pooled on the pillow under his head. He wanted to throw up, to expel the bad feelings, but he couldn’t.





	Hot and Cold

**Author's Note:**

> Day 8: Fever

The dust hung in the air like fairy lights, and eyes made of the galaxy followed the motes. Stephen’s head hurt. And his stomach. And his throat. And his hands. His neck felt like it had been filled with treacle and now it was clinging to his insides like a long lost lover. He felt every breath rattle through his chest like a freight train.

He groaned and struggled to push his aching body to sit up. As soon as he was sitting, slouched over, his stomach lurched and clawed at his lungs and he started to cough. Bitter tears licked at his eyes and he grimaced as he started to feel faint. He collapsed back onto the pillows and rolled onto his side so that he didn’t suffocate.

He opened his mouth to shout for Scott, but all that came out was a low rumbling groan. Any louder and it hurt. 

So he lay there, sweating and shaking. His phone was on the other side of the room, and he couldn’t reach it to call or text Scott. So he lay there, feeling like his body was tearing itself apart and stitching itself back together. He was hot one moment and then cold the next, and it was almost painful. He let out a whimper and his hands rose to his stomach to cradle it as it ached. Every so often, he would start to cough and he desperately wanted to crawl out of bed to get a glass of water or some tea, just so that the clawing would stop. But if he even thought about getting up, his stomach would ache and the blood would drain from his cheeks. Tears leaked from his eyes and pooled on the pillow under his head. He wanted to throw up, to expel the bad feelings, but he couldn’t.

And then there was a gentle voice saying his name, and even gentler hands on his shoulder. His eyes opened and there in front of him was the tender face of Scott.

A huge smile came to his face and he almost choked on his own happiness as he reached up a trembling hand and cradled the smooth cheek of his boyfriend.

‘Hey, babe, you not feeling good?’ the shorter man hummed, and put a hand on Stephen’s forehead. ‘You’re burning up, I think you’ve got a fever. I’ll go and-’

‘No!’ the sorcerer rasped, panic brimming in his eyes, voice thick with his blocked nose and sore throat. ‘Please… don’t… don’t leave me again.’

Scott’s face collapsed into sadness. ‘Oh, hazelnut,’ he cooed, ‘I’ll only be a few minutes, and I’m gonna get you some cool flannels to put on your forehead, just so you’re not feeling as hot. I promise that I’ll be back soon, yeah?’

The wizard frowned, and eventually nodded (though he regretted it as his head pounded and his vision swam).

Scott ran from the room to get the damp flannels.

‘Is Pops okay?’ Cassie asked, tugging on Scott’s trouser leg.

Her father looked down and smiled. ‘He’s just a little ill, right now, peanut,’ he said, ‘but I’m gonna take care of him, and he’ll be better soon.’

‘Can I take care of him too, Daddy?’

‘No, I don’t want you to getting ill too, peanut,’ Scott said, ruffling her hair, ‘I’m gonna take these towels back to him now, okay?’

‘Can I at least say hi?’

He nodded and together they walked back to Scott and Stephen’s shared room, where the sorcerer was laying on the bed, shaking and sweating and coughing. Scott came over to his side and swept his damp hair off of his forehead, and placed a cool flannel where the hair had lay.

‘Look who’s come to see you, chestnut,’ Scott said with a smile.

Cassie stood where Stephen could see her and gently put her small hand on her second father’s bearded jaw. ‘Hey, Pops,’ she said, ‘how are you feeling?’

‘Like I’ve been hit by a train,’ the wizard whispered, throat clawing to keep the words inside.

‘That train is mean,’ the little girl said with a pout, ‘it doesn’t deserve to run along the tracks.’

Stephen chuckled lightly, which soon turned into a cough that felt like he was spitting up sand. He gasped for breath when it had stopped, and he wheezed as though his lungs were made of bagpipes. Cassie put her hand on his and frowned. Stephen smiled at her, tiredly and put his hand on her cheek. ‘I’ll be okay, darling,’ he croaked, ‘I’ve got your dad to look after me. Why don’t you go to bed, yeah?’

‘Okay, Pops,’ she said. She took hold of his hand and kissed it gently on his knuckles. ‘Goodnight, hope you feel better tomorrow.’ And with that, she left the room.

‘Night, peanut!’ Scott called after her.

Stephen looked up helplessly at his boyfriend. ‘Cuddle me?’

‘Of course, you don’t even have to ask, hazelnut.’

Scott climbed into bed behind the taller man and lay his arm on the thin waist. He rested his head against the back of Stephen’s and kissed his neck gently. The sorcerer gripped his boyfriend’s hand and shut his eyes.

‘Let me know when that flannel dries out, yeah?’ Scott said.

‘Mmm,’ Stephen mumbled as he slowly drifted to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/stephenstrangestan


End file.
